The green agenda is global in scale and its scope traverses all industry and land uses. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) drivers and Climate Action are shaping organizational strategies, project delivery and ultimately career pathways. Navigating this evolving landscape demands deep expertise and a commitment to collaborative knowledge sharing. Technical proficiency in relevant domain areas must be complimented by specific behaviors, attitudes, and attributes.

Environmental Planners (EPs) are concerned with regulatory and stakeholder approvals spanning public and private sectors across all land use and Infrastructure typologies. Examples include:

Transport (road, rail, aviation, maritime).
Power and water infrastructure (generation & production, distribution or transmission, and storage, disposal).
Industry & Resource management (extraction, processing, transmission, storage, use and reuse).
Land development, natural systems management & enhancement, conservation & place making (masterplans, buildings, public spaces, and protected areas).
Advanced (e.g. data centers, laboratories) and specialized facilities (defense, aviation and marine terminals) and campuses.

The Green Skills Challenge

Regulatory approvals and stakeholder acceptance are achieved through physical data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of existing conditions, and collaborating to integrate implementable management approaches to mitigate risk and exploit opportunities.

Increasingly EPs operating in the technical consulting arena contribute to efforts aimed at realizing strategic corporate or local, regional, national, international objectives surrounding health, wellbeing and livability, biodiversity and climate resilience.

The most adept EPs will be those that can integrate technical prowess with strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities. Jacobs has pinpointed nine essential attributes broadly grouped into three overarching dimensions, which together serve as a base to handle contemporary challenges and set Environmental Planners up for success.

An accessible and interactive resource has been created to explore these attributes and dimensions, aimed at:

Empowering aspiring or early career Environmental Planners eager to enhance their skill set.
Assisting educators, managers or mentors tasked with nurturing the next generation of talent.
Supporting industry professionals, leaders, and clients dedicated to assembling and overseeing teams driven by impactful outcomes.

Excel

Technical Skills that deal with domain expertise and capacity to innovate

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Specialist

Deepen and maintain your domain expertise
Align with reputable networks & systems
Look outside of your silos

Credible

Scrutinize 'green' claims thoroughly
Be guided by trusted sources
Consider the credibility of your associations

Creator

Stay informed about technological advances
Foster innovation and creative problem solving
Celebrate advances, no matter how small

Connect

Interpersonal skills to emphasize important issues and foster synergies

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Communicator

Base your 'argument' on robust analysis
Tailor communication to the receiving audience
Ensure messaging supports the desired outcomes

Facilitator

Respect differing priorities
Seek holistic co-benefits
Recognize trade-offs & seek 'net positive' outcomes

Collaborator

Recognize the subtleties
Support collaboration
Seek diverse perspectives

Guide

Values and Leadership skills to lead with integrity and credibility

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Principled

Establish your code
Recognize what and who you can most influence
Use data responsibly

Champion

Reserve a seat at the decision-making table
Know where to engage for the greatest impact
Embed sustainability into your business

Visionary

Anticipate future challenges and trends
Defy the odds and remain positive

Excel

Technical Skills that deal with domain expertise and capacity to innovate

Connect

Interpersonal Skills to emphasize important issues and foster synergies

Guide

Values and Leadership Skills to lead with integrity and credibility

Click on + icons to proceed to each attribute »

Environmental Attributes Playbook